Yes Man

Today, I ended up watching the movie Yes Man on Netflix today, and it got me thinking.

As Netflix describes the movie:

After a bitter divorce, a bank drone falls under the sway of a self-help guru who urges him to say yes to everything that comes his way for a year.

Jim Carrey plays the “bank drone”, and after a self-empowerment workshop gets him to say yes to EVERYTHING, his life changes for the better.

OK, there are some hiccups, and the movie does explore why you shouldn’t say yes to every single thing, but yes, ultimately, his life changes the better.

This movie shook me.

I’ve been a no man lately. No, I won’t make dumplings with y’all next weekend, I’m busy. No, I won’t eat that, cuz animal protein clogs my arteries. No, I can’t go out, since I have to sleep and sleep is divine.

Even though there are a million and one things I want to do once I’m full-time in SF, I keep telling myself I have to say no, I gotta focus on writing and Quickapply, so turn down those other things.

I’ve been a slave to my routine and I have no serendipity to my life.

I’ve read a lot of advice that has been about saying no more often. Derek Sivers, with his “HELL YEAH!” or “no.” I’ve also read Essentialism and Greg McKeown.

I think I’m in a place where I need to say yes, to more things.

Yes, I should join Twitter, even if it might make me “less productive”. I’m curious about it, and I should feed my curiosity. Yes, I should go to that design event. It piqued my curiosity, I shouldn’t see it as a distraction. Yes, I should do whatever my friends planned for this weekend, I shouldn’t see it as a threat to my other interests.

Right now, I need to “make the other mistake”, which for me is saying yes.

Maybe you also find yourself in this place, where you’re too focused on saying no. You can change that. Give yes a shot. Maybe 7 days, 30 days? Say yes to everything for 30 days.

Be curious. Be spontaneous.

Then, later, also be disciplined and discerning, but later.